NFL Draft Mailbag: Should the Eagles catch a quarterback early or stay with Jalen Hurts?

This week, at Draft Mailbag, we have just one very good question. If you have any questions about the Eagles-related NFL draft, send them to [email protected]!

“If the Eagles switch Carson Wentz, how likely are they to write a QB? Who would they choose at # 6 or would they possibly trade for one? ”- Anthony

These are the questions that are on our minds as we wait for the Carson Wentz exchange to finally happen.

In terms of targeting a novice quarterback, it all depends on what the team thinks about Jalen Hurts, which is certainly worth weighing in the decision to write a new signal caller.

From my point of view, Jalen Hurts has a future as an NFL quarterback. While his debut season had its ups and downs, there was a lot to be encouraged. The big sale for me, and probably for the Eagles, is Jalen Hurts’ intangibles. He is clearly loved by the team and it is obvious in the way the attack responded to him when he was starting. Hurts never seemed intimidated by obstacles as a starter: be it his mistakes, the mistakes of his teammates or the pressure of the defense. This is great for a young player like Hurts.

The strength of Hurts’ arm is widely seen as a limit on his roof in the NFL. While these concerns are valid, there are also many ways for Hurts to overcome a common NFL arm. Hurts is a smart passer who has had limited mistakes since college. Becoming very efficient, fast and accurate with the ball is a clear path for Hurts to win in the NFL as a defender. Couple that with your existing athletics and cold demeanor and you become quite a player.

One last thing for Hurts is that he has improved his entire career. From his first year in Alabama to his tremendous final season in Oklahoma, Jalen Hurts took steps in every measurable way when it came to playing the quarterback position. There is no reason to think that his career will stop after his NFL debut year. He is the youngest defender to start games for the Eagles in a long time and it would not be completely ridiculous if the team wanted to see what he could do with a full off season as a starter. They could use Wentz’s conquest to continue building a young and talented attack and hope Hurts will make a big step in his second season. Otherwise, the Eagles are in a position to obtain a prominent defender next year.

Of course, the argument for designing a quarterback high is the quality of this class. Even with Trevor Lawrence as a block for the Jaguars, the Eagles could get a very good player in Justin Fields, Zach Wilson or Trey Lance. If the team is sold to any of these guys, Jalen Hurts’ potential is immaterial.

All of this is very hypothetical at the moment. We don’t know what the Wentz exchange is like and the team should make some statements about Jalen Hurts after it happens.

Personally, I think this quarterback class is too good to pass up. However, if the team decides to stay with Jalen Hurts for another season and use his ammunition to rebuild the attack this spring, it would make perfect sense.